Archive/File: places/ukraine/press/losses-under-ussr-mourned
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From: gam@orbiter.com (George A. Miziuk)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.baltics,talk.politics.soviet,soc.culture.soviet,alt.revisionism
Subject: A DAY OF MOURNING
Date: 29 Dec 1997 05:36:37 GMT
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REPRINT FROM NORTH PORT (FLORIDA) SUN HERALD - 11/05/97
Atanas Kobryn column: Friday a day of mourning
Friday will be observed by most Ukrainians in Ukraine, as well as by
the Ukrainian community in the North Port area, as a day of mourning
for the millions of victims of the most murderous regime in the
history of human race.
The official name of the "evil empire" was the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics, but in reality there was nothing socialist nor
republican there. It was a conspiracy against everything civilized and
decent people held dear, a dictatorship of a clique headed first by
Lenin and upon his death by Stalin, and their mafia-style enforcers.
Hitler became infamous because of his policies which resulted in the
killing of six million Europeans, mostly Jews, plus five to six
million others, including Gypsies, Poles and Ukrainians. As of this
day, very little is known by the world's community about the numbers
of individuals and of entire ethnic communities exterminated by the
Soviet Russian regime established as a result of the Communist led
uprising against the democratic government of Russia on Nov. 7, 1917.
It is estimated the Ukrainian losses during the period of Russian
Communist domination are in excess of 60 million. The artificial
famine in 1932-1933 resulted in between seven and 11 million victims
("The Harvest of Sorrow" by Robert Conquest). Add to this number
victims of famine in 1923 and in 1947 (estimates range from three to
six million) because the grain grown in Ukraine was confiscated. It
was used to feed the population of Moscow and Leningrad, or to export
to obtain hard currency needed for the industrialization of Soviet
state. Add also executions by the Che-Ka-GPU-NKVD-KGB of millions over
the period they ruled that one-sixth part of our earth, more millions
deported to Siberia to construct cities like Norilsk, Novosibirsk and
others, and to work in the mines of Vorkuta and Kamchatka, often until
death.
Not to be forgotten are the millions sent against German mine fields,
tanks and fortifications, often barehanded, to pave the way for the
elite units of the Red Army to claim victory and to collect medals and
honors. The list can continue, but these few illustrations should
suffice.
Unfortunately, as stated above, the world kept ignoring all these
atrocities, and chooses not to think about it now. It is almost
certain that Hitler started his policy of "solving the Jewish problem"
because he and his advisors did not expect the world at large to react
differently than it reacted when the atrocities, mass executions and
artificial famine in Ukraine and in other non-Russian republics became
known. Unfortunately, he was right. The popular indignation did not
become "fashionable" until after the end of WWII. The knowledge about
the atrocities of the Communist murderers are still awaiting the
recognition and the judgment of all decent people.
In Ukraine and other parts of the world, there will be groups of
Communists, fortunately not very numerous and composed of mostly old
individuals, who will "celebrate" the anniversary of the "Glorious
October Revolution." No one will prevent them from doing this, not in
the free and democratic Ukraine, nor in any other democratic country.
Many of these former officials of the defunct systems should be put on
trial for crimes against humanity, some for actual murders, but the
government of Ukraine has many other problems to deal with, and the
judicial system as we know it is not in place yet. Consequently, these
few thousands of remaining communists enjoy the freedom of a system
they fought very hard to exterminate.
There will be an ecumenical religious service in St. Andrew's
Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 4100 South Biscayne Drive, North Port, to
be followed by memorial meeting in the clubrooms. Members of the
non-Ukrainian community, especially those who have suffered from the
Russian communist tyranny, are welcome to join our Ukrainian
neighbors.
Atanas Kobryn is an immigrant from Ukraine who writes about his former
country and the community's Ukrainian population for the North Port
Sun Herald.
_________________________________________________________________
To see a list of Atanas Kobryn's recent columns, visit:
http://www.orbiter.com/gam/kobryn.htm

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